Although Jamie Campbell Bower has gained critical acclaim only as of recent for his portrayal of Vecna, who is already being heralded as Stranger Things’ best villain, the actor has been around for almost 15 years now. A fresh face to some, others may already know the English actor from his minor roles in big popular franchises, such as the role of young Grindelwald in the Harry Potter universe or the role of Caius in the Twilight franchise. With that being said, let’s look at some of the other memorable performances Bower has given us throughout his career.
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8 The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
Screen Gems
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is an urban fantasy movie based on the book of the same name. Initially, the movie was supposed to branch out into a whole franchise, similarly to the books, but due to its poor performance, plans for sequels were canceled. Despite the negative reviews by critics, fans hold it dearly to their hearts, especially thanks to Bower and Lily Collins’ performances and overall chemistry. The plot centers around Clary Fray, who discovers her heritage of Shadowhunters when encountering the group after the attack on her family. Bower plays one of the Shadowhunters Jace, who also becomes the love interest. Fans of The Mortal Instruments are more than over the moon that after almost 10 years, Bower is finally getting the global recognition he deserves. Not only was he the perfect pick for the role, he has carved out an important place for himself in pop culture due to his amazing portrayal of the character.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 The Prisoner (2009)
AMC
As a remake of a 1960 TV series The Prisoner, expectations before the release of the 2009 series were pretty high. Although the television miniseries didn’t satisfy the critics, who called the remake unnecessary, The Prisoner provided pretty solid performances by the actors. The story follows a stranger who awakens in a mysterious place, which serves as an escape-proof village. Instead of having names, the people in the village are only known by numbers. Bower plays the character with the number 11-12, so playing 001 in Stranger Things wasn’t the first time he played a character whose name is a number. This particular role was indeed early on in his career, but it gave him an opportunity to throw his name out there in hopes of receiving other deals, which essentially worked out.
6 London Boulevard (2010)
IFC Films
London Boulevard is William Monahan’s directorial debut starring Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley in the lead roles. As an independent crime film, the movie’s quality isn’t as high as it could be, but it nevertheless tells a very entertaining story. The plot centers around Harry, who just got out of prison and is sucked right back into the crime world. Bower appears only at the end of the movie, but surely leaves an impression. His appearance is so different from his usual self that, at first glance, you wouldn’t even recognize him. He plays one of the drug addicts that Harry’s been looking for throughout the movie called Whiteboy. Despite the short appearance, Bower amazingly portrayed the instability of a person hooked on hard drugs.
5 Camelot (2011)
Starz
Yes, Bower has also played King Arthur during his career, specifically in the fantasy historical drama Camelot, alongside Joseph Fiennes in the lead role. The ten-episodes-long series is based on the Arthurian legend, with King Arthur portrayed as a young, free man who is suddenly called to the throne upon his father’s death. Instead of leading the country with tyranny like his father, he decides to be more of a benevolent king with a focus on justice and freedom. Bower’s portrayal of the character was phenomenal, and it’s a big shame that most of his projects get canceled and he’s not able to show his full potential. But, if you want a spicy TV series with Bower in the lead role, make sure to visit Camelot.
4 Will (2017)
TNT
Will is an American drama series about the fictional life of William Shakespeare’s early-20s and his struggles to make a name for himself in the then-unpopular industry. As for Bower, he plays the character of Christopher Marlowe, one of Will’s rivals and a playwright and poet. The character of Marlowe is “slightly on the darker side of life,” as Bower says in an interview with Collider. We are now well aware that Bower is excellent in roles like that, but back in 2017, it was something entirely new for the actor. He got the opportunity to show the range of his talent due to the role, which pushed him to where he is right now. Sadly, it’s yet again another series that Bower has starred in that got canceled only after one season.
3 Winter in Wartime (2008)
Sony Pictures Classics
Winter in Wartime is a Dutch war film that was so successful in the Netherlands that it grossed higher than the competing Twilight and The Dark Knight. It follows teenage Michiel, who, because of resenting his father, decides to do a rebellious thing by assisting the British airman to stay out of German soldiers’ hands in the Dutch resistance. Bower plays one of the British airmen, Jack, who forms an unorthodox friendship with the teenage boy. Jack manages to fall in love with Michiel’s sister, which creates even more drama.
2 Thomas & Friends: Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure (2015)
HT Entertainment
Believe it or not, Bower has indeed voiced in a number of different projects related to the popular British TV series Thomas & Friends. As for Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure, it’s the ninth feature-length film based on the series that yet again follows the locomotive Thomas’ adventures as he takes an opportunity to win a race against Bertie the Bus. The movie has overall received positive reviews from critics, but raised some concerns for its darker undertones. As for Bower, he voiced the character of Skiff, who appears in the original Railway Series. We won’t blame you if you decide to watch the movie solely to hear Bower’s voice.
1 Stranger Things
Netflix
Last but not least, we have to mention Bower’s role that’s been recently causing chaos across social media: Vecna, 001, or Henry Creel in Stranger Things. The fourth volume of Netflix’s Stranger Things introduced a new character that, as it turns out, has been the villain all along. The Mind Flayer and everything that’s been bothering the fictional city of Hawkins were caused by the doctor’s first-ever child experiment. Although the cast of Stranger Things is full of talented actors, you can’t help but admit that Bower’s brilliant performance is one of the highlights of the whole volume. Even before we found out his true identity, you could sense the underlying creepy vibe that he gave off, which eventually turned into his heroic actions. We’re so glad that Bower was the one to land the role.
